We tried these two over the weekend:
1. Sky Zin NapaVlly LateHrvst (16.2%; SaH: 31%; RS: 1.3%; EB) Napa 1987: Very dark color w/ some browning; intense grapey/fruity/boysenberry/jammy/Zin/late hrvsty/overripe somewhat alcoholic/fumey light toasty/oak some spicy nose; somewhat sweet very strong grapey/jammy/boysenberry/late hrvsty/Zin/spicy/chocolatey/licorice/pruney rather hot/fumey/alcoholic some toasty/cedary/oak flavor w/ soft/smooth tannins; veruy long fairly hoot/fumey/alcoholic rather sweet very strong jammy/late harvesty/overripe/boysenberry/Zin/chocolatey some cedary/oak finish w/ light/rippe tannins; a very old-timey kind of LH Zin; still loads of very ripe Zin fruit but does not carry the alcohol well.
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2. HopKiln Zin LateHrvst M.GriffinVnyds/RRV (EG; 12.8%; SaH: 26 Brix; RS: 4.2%; 500 cs) 1994: Very dark color w/ some bricking; very strong grapey/very ripe/late hrvesty strong blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/peppery rather dusty/OV complex nose; quite sweet soft very ripe/overripe/pruney/late hrvesty intense blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/peppery quite dusty/OV/earthy slight licorice/chocolate bit smokey/oak complex flavor w/ light/ripe/smooth tannins; very long/lingering pretty sweet intense boysenberry/blackberry/Zin/spicy overripe/late harvesty rather dusty/OV finish w/ soft/ripe/smooth tannins; still loads of very ripe fruit and still very much alive; a bit like a Porto w/o the alcoholic burn.
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And a wee BloodyPulpit:
1. LHZins: This is a genre that, alas, has almost become extinct. You hardly ever see a Zin labeled as LateHrvst anymore. Back in the '70's (by crackey...deliverd w/ a hearty/cackley laugh and a strong slap to the thigh...it's a Kansas thang), they were fairly common. In the late '60's-early '70's, when Zinfandel was starting to gain traction as capable of making a fine wine, most were in the 12%-13% range. There were a few LateHrvsts/LatePicked/Essence that would crop up, but not very many. In the mid-late '70's, there was a movement to push the ripeness levels at harvest higher and for greater extract, by some winemakers. This led, in many cases, to stuck fermentations...Zins high in alcohol (sometimes) and w/ noticible RS in the wine.
This led to a backlash by many of the wine writers/wine critics of the time decrying the proliferation of such wines and a clarion call for Zins of lower alcohol that are more appropriate matches w/ food (Hmmmm...does this story have a familiar ring to it??), w/ much weeping & wailing & gnashing of teeth by said writers. "Monster Zins w/ shabby table manners" wrote one well-known wine critic. ShoNuff, this led to the abominable "food wines" of the early '80's and almost did in the Zin market.
Alas, this genre of stuck-fermentation/slightly-sweet/(often) high-alcohol Zins has never really enjoyed much of a comeback. Though there are certainly plenty of Zins in the 15%-16% range, they are almost always dry and almost never labeled as "LateHrvst". 'Tis a pity, I say. Certainly those wines weren't appropriate for sushi (unless you live in Monktown) or even a rare steak, they did have their place at table w/ a post-dinner savory course. You just have to be imaginative. These two went perfectly fine w/ a MaytagDairyBlue. I could see them going fine w/ good BarBQue (KansasCity BarBQue, of course...the only real barbque in this great nation).
End of rant.
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2. Sky: This is a wnry that flies well below most peoples radar. I've had some very good Zins over the yrs from LoreOlds..made in a rugged/rustic/mountain Zin kind of style. Haven't seen one around of late.
Tom